


Our little Infinity

by themysticalsong



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, timebaby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-21 03:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2453030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themysticalsong/pseuds/themysticalsong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He waited with bated breath. The noise was loud enough to wake the heaviest of sleepers up. He almost expected a gun to be shoved into his face any second.</p>
<p>His worries began nagging at the back of his head when nothing happened for a few moments, only the persistent loud sound echoing through the house. What if…?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

Entering the blue doors, Doctor frowned, his fingers automatically reaching for his sonic. He had made sure to turn off the brakes before landing to avoid disturbing the occupants, but the noise coming from the room in the right corner of the small cottage indicated otherwise.

 

He waited with bated breath. The noise was loud enough to wake the heaviest of sleepers up. He almost expected a gun to be shoved into his face any second.

 

His worries began nagging at the back of his head when nothing happened for a few moments, only the persistent loud sound echoing through the house.  _What if…?_

 

He shook his head and began making his way towards the source of noise, rolling his eyes at the overflowing bookshelves lining the wall. A glance inside the room on his other side confirmed his hunch. The only other occupant of the cottage was sound asleep, or at least doing a good job of trying to sleep through the ding.

 

Reaching the small room, he paused at the door. Howsoever briefly, a doubt niggled at the back of his mind. He probably wasn’t the right person, probably not the one needed or wanted. Pushing aside the doubts, he nudged the door open. The corner of his lips curled in a smirk when the noise stopped the moment he stepped through the doors.

 

"Hm. No dirty diaper, and apparently, not hungry. Just bored. I hope you realise this trick is not going to work every time." Closing the door behind him, he waggled his finger at the boy in the corner of the room while waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

 

"Don’t smirk like that, young man. And—for heaven’s sake, pull that finger out of your mouth, Aeton!" He frowned and picked the bouncing toddler up, "We need to convince your mother to let you have a bed one of these days. May be you won’t be so bored then."

 

His eyes narrowed as the little boy gurgled, “On the second thought, probably not. A month was more than enough to live with otters; I don’t fancy a lifetime.”

 

The toddler chortled, tiny fingers reaching for the most prominent feature on the older man’s face.

 

"Yes", settling in the rocking chair next to the crib, he held the baby a little away from him, "they are a bit more noticeable this time around, aren’t they?"

 

Aeton gurgled, bouncing on his toes on the old man’s thighs, and clapped his hands against the Time Lord’s cheeks. Doctor sighed. “Yes, I know. Things are a bit grey this time”, his eyes narrowed at the tiny sound the toddler made at the back of his throat, “You are just a year old babbling pink bundle! Be a cute little monster and go to sleep. Leave the sass to your ol’ mum and dad!”

 

The toddler made a squealing sound, a mischievous smile blooming in the chubby cheeks. “Shh!!” placing a finger to his lips, Doctor playfully scowled at the little boy, “Sleep.”

 

Studying him with all the care a 12 and a half month old can manage, Aeton furrowed his eyebrows, his face perfectly mirroring the scowl on the old man’s face.

 

"Already teaching our son to scowl, Sweetie?"

 

Doctor’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. Abruptly standing up, he pulled Aeton close to him and covered the boy’s face with his large hand, “You were asleep. I was just trying to put him to sleep.”

 

"I wasn’t sleeping, really. You still don’t know how to turn off those brakes." River arched an eyebrow, one hand coming to rest on her cocked hip, "Tell me you were not about to use your dad skills on him."

 

Without answering his wife, Doctor glanced at the little boy in his arms, “Do you see what you did, Aeton Song?”

 

As if in response, the toddler leaned forward with a very unrepentant smile on his face, strangely reminiscent of his father's last regeneration, before blowing a raspberry on his cheek.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

He had always told himself it was impossible, an improbable dream. With their lives the way they were, it would have been disastrous. Neither of them was exactly suited for the kind of life such a move would have needed. But it would be a lie if he said he had never really thought about it.

It's strange, really, but to have that dream now, fulfilled and right in front of him, feels just as surreal, may be more, as it seemed in his wildest dreams. Strange, but exhilarating. A bubble of joy ready to burst throughout his being, consuming both his hearts in one brush.

It would be an even bigger lie to suggest that the little boy, dressed like his past self in honour of halloween, doesn't already have his hearts tightly clutched in his tiny fist.

As if in agreement, the 3 month old coos at him, tiny fingers trying to grab the small bow tie. With a small laugh, he tweaks it for his son. "You like it, huh? Tell that to your too." The baby chortles in response, his eyes narrowing as he gives him a toothless grin.

"Well, it did look good. Sort of. But she kept making fun of it from the moment she was bo-" his eyes narrow, "I shouldn't be telling you this story. Too early for you to learn your mother's sass."

"It's called fashion sense, not sass. Even a newborn has a better fashion sense than you, sweetie."

He pulls a face at the infant, suppressing a smile as the baby gurgles, "Do you now see what I go through Aeton Song? I tell you, marriage is hard."

Her chuckle makes him grin. He doesn't need to look to know she is shaking her head at him even as she tries to pick up some light reading for herself. 

"Harry Potter is still a good option, Professor Song. Or, may be this interesting first edition comic about a space cat? Its on the third shelf, fourth book to the right."

River sighs, "No, thank you. I have a feeling I will be reading a lot such books in a few months, anyway. I'd rather read something a bit mature."

He playfully arches his eyebrows at Aeton, tickling the little boy as he chortles and gurgles, before grumbling to himself, "There's a copy of Moll Flanders too."

"Still sore about that, are you, Sweetie?"

His eyes narrow as Aeton lets out a small laugh, as if in response to his mother.

"Not at all, Professor Song."

River only hums, her fingers tracing the spines of the books as she browses through them.

Still making faces at the gurgling baby, he throws a withering glance at his wife- her back, really, "I hope you know how many times I -"

"Doctor-?"

There is something about her voice that makes him pause midsentence. Putting Aeton down in his cot, he makes his way to his wife, his hearts lurching in his throat the moment his gaze settles on the spine of the book she is holding up. _Time Traveller's Wife._

He clears his throat, unsure about her thoughts, "It's a good book - wonderful story."

When she doesn't say anything, he reaches to take the book from her. There is something incomprehensible about her gaze as she shakes her head, clutching the book to herself and moves to put Aeton to bed.

He had bought the book. A long time ago, and not on a whim. It had reminded him of her. The title had given him a hope. May be a way to bring her back. A clue she left for him, perhaps.

Reading it cover to cover had revealed nothing. No spoilers. All it did was giving him an outlet for all that he had held back for centuries.

And even that significance he couldn't let go. The story was them, from start to end. At least something that reminded him of her?

He waits for a few hours before looking for River. In a rare move, his ship doesn't let her hide from him, the door to their room revealing itself at the first turn. 

For a moment he hesitates, opening the door just the slightest bit to peek inside. Glasses perched on her nose, River has her eyes fixed on the text, an unreadable expression on her face as she scans the page.

He pushes open the door completely, more as a way to indicate his presence.

River shakes her head as he gets closer, keeping the book aside and takes off her glasses. "It's a good book."

He doesn't need to look. Her voice betrays it even as she tries to hide the small tremor. Louder than the tear she discreetly wipes away, anyway.

He throws a glance at the book before turning to his wife, "It's us. Very nearly us. I thought it was something you wrote", he trails off, meekly concluding as his gaze shifts to his hands in his lap, "I thought it was a clue."

"A clue?"

"A clue", he nods, "I needed to find you. I made a promise, River. It was a promise, and I wasn't going to let you break it just because you thought it would be better for everyone if you-"

"Sweetie-"

"...then it was a way to keep you close. For centuries you were there, just about at every turn. Where ever I went. Always. And after that goodbye, you just-" he gestures with his hands, a slight shaking that he tries to mask, "-you weren't there anymore. Do you have any idea how maddening that is? Centuries I walked everywhere hoping I'd find you and wishing that you weren't there, and then, just like that, you were gone. Every turn, every corner, I kept looking relieved and disappointed that you weren't there. I just needed it to..."

"But I am here, now, Sweetie."

He turns to look at her, his gaze softening as it finds hers, "Yes. Yes, you are", he looks down at her hands, covering one with his and twines their fingers together, "And I like it like that. I'm old and a very selfish man, River.."

"And a sentimental idiot, too."

Her watery laugh elicits one from him, "Yes, that too. And when I find Gallifrey, whenever that is, I want you two to be there with me. Promise me that?"

Her smile this time reveals a rare dimple, making him grin as she leans up and brushes her lips against his forehead.

She doesn't say anything, but the sparkle in her smile says it all, and that by itself is a promise enough for him.


	3. Chapter 3

There are times it seems nothing short of a benediction. A new experience, a life they are, at least she is, not used to. There are also times when everything is confusing, terrifying. Someone so completely dependant on them. On her. 

And sometimes it's a new adventure. 

She sighs and glances at the clock by her bedside, trying to blink away the remnants of sleep and ascertain time at the same time. It has only been a few days, and adjusting to a different and a very haphazard schedule is difficult when she hasn't been able to sleep properly in past few months. Hopefully, soon they will be able to negotiate a schedule that suits both of them. Waking up at 3 am doesn't feel like an adventure.

"That can't be right." She rubs her eyes, checking the clock again.

Ever since his birth, Aeton has stuck to one thing in his wibbly wobbly schedule, and that was waking up at 2.36 in the morning. His sense of time is impeccable in this regards. And only in this regards. Rest seems to be inherited from his father.

When the clock continues to show 3, she scrambles to get up. Even the idea of having slept through her son's wailing scares her. 

Not as much as the figure stooped over the infant's cot, though. 

For ease, she keeps the cot in her room only. It's easier to keep her eye on Aeton that ways. Keep him safe. She barely has to turn to her side. And the fact that someone walked into her room and is now doing heaven knows what to her child is alarming. 

She fights to stay calm, instead reaching to her bedside drawer to pull out a gun. No matter what Doctor says or thinks about them, in times like these they are a necessity. 

"What do you think you are doing?"

"River!" 

The figure turns at her question, making her deflate as her entire energy transforms into confusion. "Sweetie?"

"Shush!" he hisses at her, gesturing with his hands and newfound eyebrows, "you will wake him up! I have barely managed to get him to sleep!"

River tentatively inches closer to her husband, peeking at the baby sleeping in the cot. He squirms just the tiniest bit, but otherwise stays asleep. "There's a good boy", Doctor turns and grins at her, "See?"

She huffs and moves back to put away her gun. "Come to bed, then. It's not Aeton only who has missed you."

He throws her a glance over his shoulder, "I can't."

"You can't?"

His words a dramatic whisper, not even trying to hide his smile, he turns to her, one hand still in the cot, "He is holding my finger!"

"Your fing-", frowning in confusion, she shakes her head, "Sweetie, he is hardly a week old! I doubt he is strong enough-"

He cuts her off, turning back to the cot with a grin, "Well, you see, I planned to come by dinner time, spend the next few days with you two. You know how Old Girl is", he shakes his head, waving his free hand for emphasis, "I turned off the brakes so I don't disturb him. I was just looking at him when he woke up. You were sleeping. I thought I'd let you sleep a bit more and pacify him myself. I was just singing him a lullaby when he grasped my finger."

"He is asleep now."

"Mhmm", he hums, gently trying to move his finger away. However, the moment he moves the digit away, the baby begins squirming, tiny whimpers announcing the oncoming wail. 

River begins to get up when Doctor starts humming an old, gallifreyan lullaby under his breath, gently tracing soothing patterns in gallifreyan over the infant's tiny palm and fingers. He turns to grin at his wife when Aeton once again wraps his fingers around the tip of his father's finger, "See? Dad skills."


End file.
